Amigo Joes – Fried Chicken What Now?

Always on the search for great fried chicken. I do love my Hodaks for the price and consistency, but there’s just something about juicy, crispy, well seasoned, fried chicken that just makes your mouth water. Fried chicken that everyone can enjoy. Fried chicken that can bring people together.

My friend John knows I love fried chicken and being the good guy he is he said, “You gotta try this man.” And he was right!

If I were going to rate Amigo Joes in general I’d give it a three. It’s a traditional Mexican-American restaurant. I will say that the frozen margs are above average, they actually taste like the flavor they promise. The guac is sub-par, with the same consistency as the vacuum-sealed grocery store variety. The queso is tasty, but again, grocery store.

Jess ordered the chimichanga and it was likewise average. You could taste the oil dripping off it, and it brings images of deep fried, fast food, egg rolls to mind. Again fine if that’s what you’re craving, but not why you go to this place.

The fried chicken is why you go to this place. It takes awhile to cook so make sure you have some time, but it’s worth it. Can’t remember the price, but whatever it was I’d pay it over and over. The chicken is unbelievably juicy and piping hot when it comes out. The breading is crispy, well seasoned with herbs and pepper, and not as greasy as most fried chicken is. It’s also not as heavy as your KFC variety.

There’s really only so much you can say about pieces of chicken that have been dredged in breading and then deep fried, but even if you’re not a fan you gotta try this stuff. Seriously, go try it. Like now.

Piper Palm House – For Those Who Want to Get Fat Outside!

Date Dined: July 20, 2014

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

Ever since Jess went to Piper Palm House, in our very own Tower Grove Park, for a brunch buffet I’ve wanted to follow suit. We were invited out by our wonderful neighbors so I immediately seized the opportunity. Having an alternative to Three Monkeys brunch is nice too.

Décor Rating: 4.5 Stars

Cute outdoor seating, a wonderful air conditioned green house for inside seating, you couldn’t ask for more. There’s not that much to say about it, just check out the pictures above.

Service Rating: 3.5 Stars

Nice for a buffet. Our dirty plates were always off the table by the time we got back, and our waters were filled a few times. Our server even came by to take our drink over every twenty minutes or so. No complaints!

Price Rating: 3 Stars

A little on the pricey side for what it was, but not bad for a buffet in general. Adults were $23.75 with drinks ranging around $7.00 a pop. With tax and tip you could easily spend $40.00 a head here. Definitely not an every Sunday lunch. But the spread was decent and it’s a nice place to take out of towners.

Food Rating: 3.5

In general everything was above average, especially considering it was sitting in chafing dishes, but again this place is more about the ambience.

There are four general stations. The first is the hot station. You’ve got your sausage, beef tenderloin, omelet, pork cutlets, and pasta. Again, none of it outstanding, but still pretty tasty. If you had to fill up on a few things I’d choose the sausage and the beef. The omelet had obviously been made using powdered eggs, the pasta was a little bland, and the pork was good when it was fresh, but when it started cooling it got a little tough.

Next up, the cold station. Less impressive here. You had a ton of salads, some fancy macaroni salad, camrelized yams, smoked salmon, and some fruit. Really nothing wowed here. The salads were all very pretty, but not very tasty, a lack of dressing I think. The fruit was cut up grocery store fair. The smoked salmon was pretty tasty, but again the same quality you could find in a grocery store.

The omelet station was one of the highlights, I think. Usually I’m not a huge fan of made to order omelets, the insides are too uncooked for me. This guy actually followed my request that he cook it a little more thoroughly. They also served fresh made Belgium waffles, and biscuits and gravy. The bacon was a let-down, super soggy, and a little undercooked.

The dessert station was fine, but average in general, mostly store bough pasteries with your usual assortment of cookies, cupcakes, and brownies. The one highlight was a pumpkin cake topped with mousse. It was refreshing to find something unique and delicious among the generic other things.

In Conclusion

I’d go back to Piper Palm House, but only on that rare occasion a group, a date, or some out-of-towners want to go. It’s just a little too pricey otherwise. Don’t get me wrong, I actually really enjoyed it, it’s just a little too hard on my wallet at this juncture.

Taste – Drinks and Pig Dishes How Could You Go Wrong?

Date Dined: July 19, 2014

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Taste has a pig on its front window. That sounds delicious right? Taste also has a drink that’s on fire! Muy caliente! Finally, taste has a great dining area a must have for a fun night out. So why doesn’t it wow? Let’s find out!

Décor Rating: 4 Stars

Everything I’m looking for in a bar. One side of the bar area has exposed bricking, the other side has a dark blue modern façade. There’s dark wood tables and matching chairs. The spacing of the parties is far enough apart that you never feel crowded and there’s even an open view into the kitchen (which everyone knows I’m a sucker for). Definitely a simple, yet classy interior that you can take a date to, hang out with friends in, or just go sit and think deep thoughts over a drink.

Service Rating: 3.5 Stars

Above average, but nothing special. The restaurant was completely empty inside, and I’d like to see how they do on a busy night. Still, we had water right when we sat down, our orders were taken pretty quickly, and they got everything right. A few small observations. They don’t have ice cubes in the water. I don’t know if that was just us, but it was kind of sad. The drinks took an odd amount of time to get out considering there were probably a total of 6 tables inside and outside. I’d say about ten minutes at least. Finally, the food timing was also a little long. Two of the appetizers came out after only about 5 minutes, but the last took nearly twenty. Super weird.

Price Rating: 2 Stars

Ouch, ouch ouch. Food prices are a little high: five bucks for two slices of cornbread, ten bucks for the scrapple smaller than a hot pocket, and six bucks for pig popcorn (which was just pork skins). But that’s not the killer. The absolute worst are the drink prices. All alcoholic drinks on the menu are at least double digits. Come on guys… I can get a delicious Moscow mule from Annie Gunns for only $7.50. If the drinks were a little better it might be worth it, but considering their quality, I think the prices are a little high.

Food Rating: 3 Stars

Despite the pig, this is a drink place. They have “small plates” but if you’re thinking they’re like tapas you’d be wrong. Instead, they’re literally small servings of regular food.

Starting with the drinks, out of the four our table ordered, I thought only two might have been worth the price. I ordered the surfboard fizz, a drink with: London vodka, watermelon, orgeat, honey, lemon, basil, and soda. Sounds good right? Something was just off about it. The watermelon wasn’t very present and it left a weird grainy film on the surface of the drink. At least they didn’t skimp on the vodka. Jess had some drink I honestly can't remember the name of, but she said it was "alright".

Our friends Eric and Kate were with us, which is always an absolute delight (a delight I say!). Eric had the leatherhead apron which is supposed to be a mis of bourbon, sibilla, sherry, and dolin blanc. End result was that it tasted like bourbon with a little honey in it. I enjoyed it, but for eleven dollars and the tiny glass, I kept thinking, “I could make dozens of these drinks for about thirty dollars.” Kate ordered the walker and it came out ON FIRE. Nice presentation, and an interesting lime and bourbon taste to it. I’d say it’s a drink that’s worth it.

Dinner was three different appetizers. We started out with the strongest, which was the bacon fat fried cornbread pictured abo- oh crap nevermind. It was pretty damn good. Definitely a southern style cornbread, this stuff was flatter, crisper, and more crumbly than its northern counterpart. The bacon fat didn’t add much to the taste, but the molasses it was slathered in was very good. I’d say that this would actually be worth getting again.

The pig popcorn, instead of being popcorn popped in pig fat, is instead store bought tiny pork rinds with too much paprika on them. We probably should have asked, but it was still kind of disappointing. The rinds came out on a small skillet, but I think that was just for presentation. For a nice restaurant, it’s a little strange that the pork rinds weren’t homemade.

The scrapple was a new experience for me. Apparently it’s known by the Pennsylvania Dutch as “pan rabbit”. You take a bunch of pork scraps and trimmings, combine them with cornmeal flour, form it into a loaf, slice it, then pan fry it. Having never tried scrapple before I can’t really rate it, but I will say the end product was interesting. Kind of like a more solid sausage mush covered in an egg. I’d actually prefer if there was a little solid char on it so you could get a crispy counterbalance to the mush.

In Conclusion

If I was still in college and looking to impress some chick then I might take them to Taste. Its got a nice look to it, fancy drinks that sound delicious, and avant garde twists on regular food dishes. When you’re nearly thirty and looking to get drink and you’re starving then this is not the place for you. Would I go back to get a drink? If it was convenient sure. Would I go out of my way to get a drink here? Nope, sorry. Not until the prices drop or the drinks get a little better. Please reference this youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJMhAhkR0kU.

Schlafly Bottleworks – A New and Better Menu

Date Dined: July 12, 2014

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

It was the first real sweltering day of the summer. The heat beat down in a steady stream, sweat pouring from my skin. I swam through the air, and it cloyed at me, weighing down my limbs. It was the perfect day to drink lots of cold beers, and so we ventured to Schlafy Bottleworks for the first time in a year and a half.

Décor Rating: 4 Stars

I’ve always liked the bottleworks more than the taproom. That smell of hops as you walk through the doors, the intricate machinery that you can view through the large windows, and that easy feel of a city suburb. It’s more family friendly, in a better neighborhood, and your as likely to play poker here as you are attend a farmer’s market.

The inside is large and I appreciate that even when the entire dining area is full you never feel squished. Inside you’ll find mismatched wooden chairs and tables set with simple white linen napkins and silverware. This place is all about taken it easy from the comfy chairs in the waiting area to the servers in their laidback t-shirts and jeans. The bar area is a little more trendy, with a smartly designed bar, and classic light brown wooden chairs.

The outdoor dining area is especially cool. Tented so that you can enjoy it in any weather, steel topped tables line the patio. On the colder nights they’ll light up heat burners and you can huddle by them while sipping your pumpkin beer.

Service Rating: 4 Stars

Decent service for a laid back location. When you get seated a server will be right up to greet you and take your drink order. Even when they’re slammed, you’ll get your beer in five to ten minutes and then they’ll take your order. Food comes out about fifteen to twenty minutes later and they’ll come check up on you. Really all you can ask for. You’re not being wined and dined, but the service really is quality for the laid back atmosphere.

Price Rating: 2.5 Stars

The first real eh of Schlafly is the price. They know people love them and they know they could charge even a little more and people would go. Since the menu revamp, some of my favorite items have had a buck or two tagged onto the price. For example, I’m pretty sure the beer bread used to be $4.50 and now it’s $6.75. The Bison was only around $10.00 at one time and now it’s $13.25. The desserts used to be around $5.00 and now they’re a whopping $7.50 and smaller.

I’m a little disappointed in the price hikes, but at least the beer prices have stayed pretty consistent. Still, don’t expect a cheap night here if you grab a couple drinks, an appetizer, and an entrée. You’ll be surprised how fast you ring up that $50.00 bill with tax and tip.

Food Rating: 3.5 Stars

I have never cared for Schlafly’s food. It’s just always been lackluster. The burgers were fine, but a little dry, the ribs were like shoe leather, The black bean burger tasted like it was from a sleeve, and the chicken was a little too chewy. Everything was always edible and fine, but not worth the price. Now Schlafly has upped their menu and unfortunately their price.

Since we first started going here, they have added some wonderful new beers, that have since become staples of ours. The first is the summer lager. The minute the first whiff of spring flows through the air I go to the store to see if these are in stock. They’re light, crisp, and just a little sweet. The Yakima wheat ale has become another of my favorites. Introduced to me by my good friend Shawn, this thing isn’t too hoppy, and it still tastes like my beloved Hefe. A word of advice, stay away from the fruit drinks here. Schlafly excels at many things, but a good fruit beer or cider isn’t one of them. At best you’re going to get something that tastes like a strong bud light with the watery taste of whatever fruit it’s claiming to be.

Dining out with our very good friends John and Kate made the experience just that much better. And lucky me, they let me taste their dishes. We started out with the baked goat cheese. Not much to say here. There was goat cheese, tomato sauce, and about four too few crostinis. All things that were very good, but something I could easily make at home. Unless you're really craving some goat cheese I might skip this thing. You'll want the extra room for beer or at the very least the beer bread.

Jess ordered the grilled cheese and potato salad. Again, something that I could probably have whipped up for her on the stove, but I’ll admit it was excellent. They definitely don’t skimp on the cheese which I appreciate. The bread was lightly toasted and wonderfully buttery, the cheese oozed out the sides, and when you bit into it, it brought back memories of being a kid. The potato salad was creamy and I appreciated the use of red spuds. Grilled cheeses are usually a rip off, but I could actually justify ordering this thing.

Our friend Kate ordered the meatloaf and I think of all the dishes this was probably the most lackluster. In fact, I’ve had my friend Kate’s meatloaf and it was way better than this thing. But it’s understandable, it’s hard to keep bulk meatloaf moist. It was edible and fine, but sort of heavy and a little too dense for my tastes. I would have liked a little more veggies in with the mix. The scalloped potatoes were pretty delish, and the cream corn overshadowed the meat loaf. They managed to make them creamy without being mushy. How I ask you, how?!

I ordered the ribs since I was in a red meat mood. They’re ribs have gone from god awful, to okay, not decent. For the first time I could really taste the smoky flavor of the meat, and while it didn’t fall off the bone it was tender enough. What really ruined it was the ridiculous amount of sauce on the thing. It looked like the smoked the thing then slathered it with sauce from some sort of container. The “ale BBQ” BBQ sauce tasted like sweet and chunky ketchup sauce. The mashed potatoes were thick and creamy, just the way I like em. The coleslaw was meh.

Our friend John definitely won the dish of the night. The pretzel encrusted chicken is delicious. The only downside is that I wish there was another piece of meat. The breast meat inside is tender, juicy, and steaming hot. The breading is crisp, choppy, and it doesn’t taste heavy like KFC chicken. It tasted exactly like what I wish my chicken parmesan dishes tasted like. The veggies were soft, but not mushy which I find a lot of restaurants can manage. Definitely grab yourself one of these despite the steep $18.00 price tag.

For dessert we settled on the peach cobbler with Serendipity ice cream. As always, Serendipity was delicious, rich without tasting overly sweet, and better than most American made gelato. The peach cobbler has seen better days. Once upon a time, Schlafly had a delicious berry cobbler. Berries enclosed into a crumble loaf and topped with whip cream. The whip cream is just as good, thick, homemade, and just sweet enough, but the peach cobbler was disappointing. The peaches were a little too tart for my liking, and the entire thing tasted sort of like a high quality Marie Callendar product.

In Conclusion

If you’re looking for someplace to chill out on a Saturday night check out the Bottleworks. You might leave a lot poorer than you anticipated, but you’ll have a good time. Depending on what you order your mileage may vary, but you likely won’t walk away upset. It’s the perfect place to take some out of towners who just want to hang, and the new menu shows improvement.